Miniature horses may be small in size, but in their hearts they are full-sized steeds brimming with vim and vigour.
That heart endeared them to K.C. Pappas, who bought her first miniature horses 15 years ago.
Her husband, Greg, raised Standardbred racehorses and during a trip to Kentucky, she spied the little ones and had to have some.
“We hauled them back with the racehorses and my husband said I had better not change my mind.”
That first purchase of three horses cost $7,500.
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The value of miniature horses varies from around $500 for pet stock to a record price of $150,000 recently paid in the United States for a stallion.
When Pappas made her first purchases, she felt three miniatures would be enough on their 10 acres on the outskirts of Calgary.
They were the right size for her young children to enjoy and they fit in well with the acreage community of Springbank.
Today, Pappas has 32 horses. She has had good luck with fertility and produces a healthy crop of foals every spring.
Foals weigh between 15 and 20 pounds at birth and stand 15 inches tall.
She scrutinizes every colt.
“If a colt is born and it is not better than my stallion, then it shouldn’t be a stallion,” she said.
Pappas breeds for the show ring, looking for a well-structured, refined horse that stands no more than 34 inches at the withers.
At this year’s Calgary Stampede, First Knight Miniatures won 50 first place ribbons, as well as overall champion, a title that qualifies Pappas for the national show in Fort Worth, Texas, this October.
The Fort Worth event is a major eight-day show with more than 2,000 horses competing in a variety of classes.
She has won a number of national awards in Canada and the U.S. where she competes as an amateur.
Her first major U.S. win came in 1992 when she led in the national grand champion stallion in Fort Worth. A panel of judges made the selection but the decision did not sit well with some American competitors.
She breeds, trains and grooms her own horses, whereas many large American farms employ professional trainers to lead their horses into the winner’s circle.
“A little farm from Calgary that has 25 horses is not supposed to beat a big farm in the States with 200 horses,” she said.
Pappas is on the show circuit every year, where her passion for these horses and her willingness to work full time with her herd pays off.
She has won numerous awards since that first win in1992, including grand champion honors for junior gelding, weanling colt, junior mare and sire.
“You have to be there year after year to show you are legit,” she said.
Pappas prefers halter classes but miniature horses can be seen in driving shows, halter classes, obstacle courses, barrel racing in carts, mini chuckwagon races and liberty classes, where individual horses are allowed to run free to music.
They are not ridden.
Miniature horses are popular in Western Canada. Alberta has about 2,000 head. When buying, Pappas recommends shopping around and advises buyers to avoid the auction markets where poor quality animals are often dumped.
“Go to at least three farms and check out to see what is best for you.”
The first miniature horses were imported from Europe into the U.S. in 1888 but they did not receive much attention until 1960.
It is believed these diminutive horses were used in English and Dutch mines to pull carts. Some were used in the Appalachian mines in the U.S. as late as 1950. Others were raised in Europe as novelties and gifts to royalty.
